Four Steps to Take Before Migrating to the Cloud

In today’s world, migrating to the cloud has become a common practice for companies that want to improve efficiency, cut costs and create a more collaborative environment. According to the 2016 IDG Cloud Computing Survey, at least 70% of U.S. organizations are now using cloud computing in some form — either public, private, hybrid or as a mix of various cloud computing models.

That’s only expected to increase as more businesses become comfortable with the cloud. In the same survey, 56% of businesses said they were in the process of transferring more of their IT operations to a cloud environment.

While there are many reasons to move to the cloud, including cost savings, increased flexibility and fewer maintenance concerns, it isn’t as simple as, say, switching out your antivirus providers. Getting it right the first time is key to a smooth transition, so it’s important to take steps beforehand that will make your migration easier.

If you’re considering making that move, here are four important steps to make sure you’re prepared.

Step 1: List Your Expectations

Knowing what you want to get from the cloud is the first step in determining what type of cloud is right for you. Spend some time thinking about what you expect to get from it in terms of the following:

Price. Budgets are one of the main driving forces behind moving to the cloud. It gives the benefit of large amounts of storage without the cost of a data center. Of course, there are many different options when it comes to the cloud, so give serious consideration to what kind of price you’re anticipating.

Flexibility. The cloud allows you to scale up during peak seasons when you have more demand and scale it back when you don’t. What does your organization require in terms of storage space and computing resources?

Productivity. Thanks to the collaborative nature of the cloud, users have access to tools and technology that previously weren’t available to small- or medium-sized businesses. Consider what resources and tools are most important for you.

Security. Cloud providers put an emphasis on security, so look at what processes are in place for security.

Step 2: Understand Your Apps

Before moving to the cloud, analyze what kind of data is flowing between your servers and make sure you know what processes they use and how much bandwidth they require.

It could be that you want to consider using a hybrid cloud, which would allow you to keep the most critical applications close to home. A hybrid cloud is also a good idea if you have older or outdated software that you want to continue using. Sometimes older applications don’t move to the cloud successfully, so if the software is crucial to running your business, a hybrid cloud would allow you to keep it onsite.

Step 3: Test and Assess

Before migrating to the cloud completely, make sure that you have fully tested the cloud provider you are choosing. This includes reviewing performance, security and how it works with third-party services. Cloud testing is vital to make sure the service will work as required across all platforms.

You’ll also want to create a risk assessment of your critical apps to look for any possible IT threats or vulnerabilities. Performing a complete risk assessment will ensure that you’re prepared in the event of everything from extreme weather events to cyberattacks.

Step 4: Keep Your Eye on Costs

In many cases, reviewing costs means looking for hidden charges. Bandwidth charges can sometimes vary based on which services are used, and there are sometimes charges for data transfer between regions or zones. You may also be charged for utilization. For example, Microsoft Azure users often must pay a hefty fee when they want to access their data.

Also pay careful attention to how you might be charged for unused reserved instances, which can easily be forgotten and quickly run up a big bill. Always make sure that the meter isn’t going to be running for services that you aren’t using; you don’t want to be throwing money away on resources you don’t want, use or need.

Consider Using the Aventis Systems Private Cloud

If you’re ready to move your business to the cloud, Aventis Systems has solutions that can give you all the performance you need without the hidden fees. With unlimited data transfer out and automated data recovery, it provides the secure, reliable and scalable service that today’s organizations require to keep pace in a competitive and fast-moving business environment.

And, since the Aventis Cloud is based in our data center, you’ll enjoy 1GB upload and download speeds in a secure environment. We can even move your at-risk applications to off-site disaster recovery locations, ensuring complete protection of your most valuable assets.

Moving to the cloud is rapidly becoming the state of business today. Contact Aventis Systems to see how we can take your business to the next level.